Star Cinema

Theatrical feature films

Star Cinema was founded in 1993 to transform ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation into a true entertainment company. Although still a new player in the film industry, Star Cinema has poised itself to be a major competitor of big film companies like Viva Films and Regal Entertainment. Its strategies to reflect the viewer's current taste and trends has proven to be successful starting from the 90's with a string of films targeted to mainstream viewers with film genres ranging from action, comedy, horror, and fantasy. The films of Star Cinema in the 90's has been well received with some earning critical acclaims with films such as May Minamahal (1993), Maalaala Mo Kaya (1994), Madrasta (1996), Magic Temple (1996), and Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (1998). The 90's also saw the pioneering works of the company by hiring third-party companies to integrate state-of-the-art computer generated images and special effects and makeup/prosthetic into some of its films like Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara (1995), Magic Temple (1996), Kokey (1997), Magandang Hatinggabi (1998), Hiling (1998), and Puso ng Pasko (1998) among others. Other notable works are the adaptations of popular anime's such as Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa (1995) and Cedie (1996) which incorporates stylish production designs and costumes and was shot abroad. Star Cinema also made a film adaptation of ABS-CBN's phenomenon TV series with films like Mara Clara: The Movie, released in 1996 and Mula Sa Puso: The Movie and Esperanza: The Movie both released in 1999. In 1997 and 1998, Star Cinema produced Goodbye America and Legacy under the banner of Star Pacific Cinema in an attempt to penetrate the Hollywood B-movie market.

The year 2000 and beyond has been the most successful time for Star Cinema in terms of box office gross. In this period, Star Cinema's films are topping the box office chart in the Philippines which regularly garners an average of 70% of the local film market (excluding foreign films) based from the filings of ABS-CBN Corporation in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Most of the all-time highest-grossing films in the history of the Philippines are either produced or co-produced by Star Cinema as reported by Box Office Mojo. In 2002, Star Cinema together with Unitel Pictures released the Filipino-American film American Adobo to mixed reviews in the United States. In 2010, Star Cinema co-financed and released RPG Metanoia, the first 3D computer animated Filipino film in history. In 2013, Star Cinema co-financed and released Erik Matti's On the Job to mixed to positive reviews abroad. Star Cinema films that was well received by critics in this period were Anak (2000), Tanging Yaman (2000), Bagong Buwan (2001), Dekada '70 (2002), Nasaan Ka Man (2005), Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (2006), In My Life (2009), and On the Job (2013).

Television series

The television unit of ABS-CBN Film Productions is Star Creatives (also called Star TV). It was established in 2000 to produce television series for the ABS-CBN television network. It started its television venture in 2000 with Pangako Sa ’Yo (known internationally as The Promise), a series that had gained huge following in the country and abroad. The series had a very successful run in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Namibia, Singapore, and China. It was followed by another successful series Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay (2002). In 2008, its most expensive television production Lobo (known internationally as She Wolf), received the Banff World Media Festival for best telenovela program and earned Angel Locsin an International Emmy Awards nomination for best performance of an actress. Sana Maulit Muli (2008), also gained a following in Taiwan when it was dubbed in Taiwanese Minnan. Kahit Isang Saglit (2008) became a finalist in the 37th International Emmy Awards. Its 2010 production, Magkaribal, became a finalist to the 2011 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for best telenovela. Budoy (2011-2012) is also a finalist to the 2013 New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards. Soap operas produced by Star Television had been subtitled and dubbed to several languages including English, Turkish, Khmer, Mandarin and French and most notably those that are targeted to Asia Pacific and South Africa. One of the programs dubbed in French is Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay which will cater to French-speaking audience in Africa and Europe. Star Cinema has also produced TV promos, spots and specials for the ABS-CBN network. In 2011, Star Cinema spent 12 million pesos for the Philippine National Anthem video clip of ABS-CBN network.

Film distribution

Star Cinema distributes all of its films as well as films produced by other production companies. In recent years, due to the popularity of independent films, Star Cinema created new divisions that would cater these niche markets. These are Sine Screen and Skylight Films. Star Cinema also redistributes classic films restored by ABS-CBN Film Archives and Central Digital Lab, Inc. In 2015, Star Cinema released the Cinema One Originals film That Thing Called Tadhana to critical and box office success. The film went on to gross over 134 million pesos against its budget of only 2 million pesos.